update...finally, another one!

I am thankful for technology because I am able to sit in my room and type up this blog, all the while listening to some jams that are encouraging to me. I find myself in Santa Rosa de Tambo for the month of April (and now into May). It is May 1- cannot believe it! We are here until March 8th (in Tambo) and then I find myself reuniting with my entire team in Lima. We fly out of Peru on the 16th and I am not sure I will know what to do with myself. I suppose there is no need to fret about it... it just seems unreal, kind of like when I found myself on a plane headed here back in January. Four months later with a slew of memories I am typing this up to send out as a blog....this season of life has been nothing short of stretching, challenging, eye-opening, and much needed.

Nonetheless, I want to share a few things from this month's time in Tambo. The people of this small village have been then most receptive and curious out of all of the villages I have spent time in. Atico was unique because it was a coastal town where no one had visited yet and it was my first village. I will always be fond of my time there because it was different than the rest of my time in Peru (shout out to Tania, Torro Mata, and Faustina!!) Chupa was the toughest situation I found myself in...VERY different experience. It was my first mountain village, with a different translator, in a hardened town....ministry was tough because the people were not interested in us...BUT I was the most encouraged by the body of believers that met regularly in the annexes of Chupa. God showed Himself to me in a manner that encourages me as I type this. Also, it was the first time I felt like I was beginning to disciple one of my girls...which was the reason they 'hired' me to do this job. Chupa- mixed emotions, but undoubtedly a needed experience to shape me. And now, I find myself in Tambo. The team I have is two of my girls and a male translator. There has been a truly edifying experience of having both Kate and Amy on my team. There is daily discipleship time that we're plugging into- me with Kate and then me with Amy...but we're connecting as sisters in Christ for the first time, I do believe. The Lord has allowed me to start pouring into these girls, and they've been receptive. We are also meeting as a group on a daily basis to walk through Philippians and now 1 Timothy. On top of that, we are in a village where people enjoy talking with us, they are thrilled to teach us Quechua, there are believers to encourage, the people have chacras to work on and we can join them, it is beautiful here...and it is the smallest village I have been to. I told my girls that I am thankful we have found ourselves in this village to 'close out' our time in Peru.

(This is me milking my first cow!!)

There were a couple of days that we were without a translator because the one we originally had decided to leave us in the early hour of the day...he missed his family and he wasn't mentally prepared to be out for this long. Needless to say, we were shocked...we were then sent Solomon. He is a believer that we have spent some good time with while being in Lima. He has excellent English, he loves the Lord, and it is such an encouragement to have him finish out our time together.

I am in the middle of some serious searching concerning the next step. It has been a tough week for me personally. The Lord has made it clear to me I am to deny myself. I realize this is a daily call to each of us believers- to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Christ. He has made a point that I must spend some time physically denying myself in order to cling to Him as my satisfaction. A verse I have been meditating on is in Psalms 107:9: For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. I am longing for His fulfillment in my life...realizing my expectation must be found in Him...nothing else on this earth. I have cried a few times...I have sat in silence- feeling overwhelmed with myself and my thoughts...I have laid my head in my hands several times....it has been a time for me with the Lord...and even as I type this, I am still in the middle of it all. When you read this, please spend some time just lifting me up in prayer. I believe I am in just a weird place in life with my age, gender, desires, status (single)...and I am wanting to live out 1 Samuel 12:24: Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all of your heart: for consider all of the great things has has done for you. All the meanwhile contending with my self...my emotions, expectations, desires...and knowing I must allow those to be crucified, but trying to work through some of the desires I have to go to a particular group of people and minister to them, along with the desire to be in a particular place in the world.... but being challenged not to just go to what is comfortable.. hmmm...Living a life that counts matters...that counts in being obedient to the Lord....I have many great opportunities and I am desiring to sift through them not motivated/influenced by my emotions or my expectations. I need the Spirit to lead me...

It is the final countdown for us. Staff training at camp starts on the 17th...I will get there, Lord willing, on the 23rd to join my missed family...I am looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses this summer to continue shaping me. I am in for a totally different summer than the others just based on schedule and tasks...Also, there is a brand new crew of folks that have come in to work, so I have many new folks to meet. I also will have a small group and I have no idea who is a part of my small group...It makes me smile to think about it, though.

I also have not ever missed my family quite like I have lately (lately being in the past 4 months). There is a love and excitement about my family that has grown in my heart during my time overseas that I am not certain I have experienced in my adulthood ever. Seeing my Mom, sister, grandparents...I am looking forward to hanging out with them as soon as I get home. Pray for our time together- that it will be encouraging to each of us and that they will see Christ in me through the way I have opportunities to serve and love them in our short time together in person before I leave.

Reading through the Bible during my time here in Peru has been a neat exercise in discipline. I really dropped the ball in March, but I have had some opportunities to plug into it while being in Tambo. I have completed the OT and am working through the Gospels right now. I have been amazed at the history of Israel and God's response to their disobedience...and there are a couple of accounts in Ezekial that I found myself utterly amazed. Early in Ezekial 33 has really challenged me to 'sound the trumpet' by sharing the Gospel...and the story in Chapter 9 made my jaw drop out of amazement. The amount of time I have had to feed on the Scripture has been invaluable- it is so rich and so intertwined in a manner that I had never personally been aware of until now in life...and I am still learning!! It is incredible.

It is Thursday night at 9:45 PM. Everyone is asleep, whereas I am still wide-awake. I find myself listening to music on my iTunes and clicking through pictures of my trip to Jacksonville this past January when I met up with my friend, Matt and his good friend, Benji; Mother's Day last year and pictures of my beautiful mother and sister; graduation from UGA in 2007; and my jungle trip when I played in a waterfall (catarata) on Easter this year. Ah- pictures...one of my favorite things.

I leave Tambo in less rhan 36 hours, and I leave Peru in 10 days ( am typing this on the 6th of May)... unreal. I am going to sleep on that note.